Diabetic Neuropathy

Definition

Diabetic neuropathy is a type of nerve damage associated with diabetes. It results in damage to the nerves in a person’s feet, legs, and eyes, and to the nerves that control bodily functions, such as digestion, blood pressure, and heart rate.

Treatment

Talk with your doctor about the best treatment plan for you. Treatment options include:

Blood Glucose Management

It is important to regularly monitor blood glucose levels. You can bring them within normal range with meal planning, exercise, and/or medications.

Foot Care

If you have diabetic neuropathy, you will need to take special care of your feet. The nerves in the feet are the ones most often affected by neuropathy. This care will involve regular visits to a foot doctor and careful cleaning, inspection, moisturizing, and grooming of your feet. In addition, always wear well-fitting shoes and thick, soft, seamless socks to help protect your feet from injuries.

Surgery

If you have painful diabetic neuropathy, nerve decompression surgery may be done to reduce pain. Talk to your doctor about whether this option is right for you.

Other Treatments

Other treatments will depend on your symptoms. Medications can be used to relieve pain, burning, tingling, or numbness. Often, the medications used to treat these symptoms are the same ones used to treat
seizures
and
depression.

Another option to treat pain is called transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS). With TENS, a machine sends painless electrical signals through the skin to the nerves. Your doctor may offer this treatment.

Prevention

The best way to prevent diabetic neuropathy is to regularly monitor and manage your blood glucose levels. Your doctor can instruct you about how often to check your levels and what the numbers mean.

Revision Information

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.

Diabetic neuropathies: the nerve damage of diabetes. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases website. Available at:
http://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-topics/Diabetes/diabetic-neuropathies-nerve-damage-diabetes/Pages/diabetic-neuropathies-nerve-damage.aspx.
Updated November 26, 2013. Accessed September 8, 2015.